Dundee based Cariescan said the the handheld system is the first of its type.

It uses bluetooth to communicate with computers and stores all diagnostic data including tooth numbers and measurements.

Graham Lay, chief executive officer of 3D Diagnostic Imaging, said: "This system is a really exciting development for dentists.

"It provides them with information in a form which they have never had before, enabling caries status data to be captured, stored and recalled onto the dentists PC enabling the long term monitoring of disease progression or regression.

"It provides the dentist with all the data needed to easily monitor the health of a patients teeth and make decisions that will help prevent the need for fillings in the future."